Flipside
by Chinatsu Araki
Summary: He knows who he's running from, but who is he running to? Phil Lester is running from his past... Dan Howell is running into trouble... Both boys are caught up in a world of drama, attempted murder, missing people, media and Chinese take-out.


**CHAPTER ONE:**

**Phil**

My feet pound on the flagstones down from our apartment. Dad is hitting mom again and she's yelling for someone - anyone - to help her.

That someone...is me.

But what can I do? I'm not as strong as Dad is.

But I want to help her...I want to help her so much.

I throw my full weight against the door, in an attempt to bust it open, but all I end up doing is bruising my arm and shoulder instead.

_Move Phil! Why aren't you getting up?!_

I force myself to stand up on my shaking legs and try to bust the door open again.

The shouts are getting louder, the blows more violent, and here I was, desperately trying to find an opening and stop my Dad from going to extremes beyond any of which we knew he was capable of...

"Mum! MUM!" I yell through the crack in the door.

"Hold on! I'm coming!"

_C'mon door open!_

"Phil, Phil stay outside your dad-"

Her voice is cut off and replaced by choking breaths.

"Mum!"

"Die bitch! Why won't you die?!"

With a final blow the door is taken off its hinges, I run into the room, grabbing my dad from behind and desperately pulling his bulky form off my mother.

"You bastard!" He throws mom aside and turns to me, slamming me against the wall and repeatedly punching me across the face.

Through my rapidly swelling eye I desperately seek out my mom, spitting blood from my mouth.

"Mum, go! Get out of here!"

She struggles to her feet looking at me with wide, tear filled eyes. She won't listen to me unless I convince her otherwise.

"I'll catch up! But right now you have to go!"

She does so, albeit reluctantly, and I breathe out a sigh of relief, only it's short lived.

Dad has thrown me into the nearby coffee table, and he's reaching for a sharp glass shard from the vase he broke earlier.

I know what he's planning. His intentions are to kill me...

I roll aside swiftly and grab an ashtray discarded by the sofa.

With a swift blow I bring it down on the side of his head, immediately knocking him out cold.

With heightened breaths and trembling hands, I scramble to my feet, and down the stairs of apartment 2C.

* * *

><p>Mum's at the bottom of the flight of stairs, her phone in her hand, she talks rapidly into the receiver, and I question who the person at the other end is.<p>

She seems desperate, as though pleading for something.

"Mum?" I stumble towards her, every part of my body aches, and I'm almost entirely convinced that a rib or two are fractured.

"Phil!"

She runs to me and takes my face in her hands.

"Oh my God, Phil!"

She sobs into my shoulder and I hold her tightly.

"I've got you. It's okay, you're safe. I won't let anything, or anyone hurt you anymore."

Despite my reassuring words, I can feel my consciousness slipping.

I sink to the floor, mum on her knees next to me.

She yells something - my name I think - but I can't hear her.

I only vaguely make out the words "Go away - and - I need to go back -"

"A-are you in-insane? I wheeze.

I don't have time to hear her response...as everything around me fades to black...

* * *

><p>I open my eyes, only to be greeted with whiteness, so piercing, it gives me a headache.<p>

Squeezing my eyes shut, I grip my hands into fists until the headache fades away, and open my eyes again.

I struggle to sit up against the bedpost and study my surroundings.

It didn't take a genius to know that I was in hospital.

My eyes scan the room, searching for someone else who should be here, but isn't.

"Mum?"

"Ah, you're awake?"

I blink at the overly friendly doctor that stands before me.

"W-where's my mum?" I question.

"Who?"

"My mum, where is she?"

"Ah we were only told about you, an anonymous call."

"There must be a mistake, my mum was with me."

My heartbeat accelerates in panic at the realisation.

"The paramedics only found you, you were unconscious. No one else was around." He turned to his colleague muttering something along the lines of 'blunt force trauma, causing gaps in memories and past experiences blah blah blah.'

I knew mum was with me...I knew she was! But now?

"She was with me!"

"Hush now son, you've had quite the shock, anyone in your position would be this way if they were in a similar situation to yourself."

"But I-"

"I suggest a CT scan, in case there is some kind of problem with his brain activity"

"Yes Doctor."

Defeated I sank into my pillows, fear gnawing away at my stomach. Just where was mum?

I can't exactly remember all the details, I just know that my father had lost it again and had taken it out on my mother, only, there was something missing here…

I know mum was with me, she was on the phone...Damn it why can't I remember what she said?!

"Damn!" I growl, fisting my hands into my bedclothes. What use was I if I couldn't even protect my mum? My Mum…

"Before we go on anymore, may I ask you, your name and home address?"

"It's Ph-" I pause momentarily, was what I was about to do going to come back and bite me later? If I were to reveal my actual name and home address, it would be too simple for my Dad to track me down, and right now, the one thing on the forefront of my mind, was trying to find my mom.

"J-Jack, my name is Jack."

"Jack?" The doctor looked slightly puzzled, "Interesting."

I nod.

"And how old are you'Jack'?"

Short answers, I was not in any position to give away anymore than that.

"eighteen."

"Home address?"

"Don't have one"

The doctor paused, pen held mid air.

"Sorry?"

"I don't have an address. I just moved in."

"Ahh. And your mum?"

I felt my anger rising, a rare action from me.

"That's what I'm trying to ask you!"

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry, so where are you staying at the moment."

I squeeze my eyes shut, "With my aunt, but I don't know her address off yet."

"Have you her number?"

"She doesn't have a phone."

I peek through my lashes to see if he's buying it. It seems impossible, but now was not the time to retrace my steps.

"Okay, thank you 'Jack', rest well and we'll bring you in for a CT scan a little later."

I nod again.

I had no intention of staying here.

* * *

><p>Once the ward was quiet, I threw myself out of bed, careful to keep my footsteps light.<p>

Every step I took, sent a fresh jolt of pain through my body.

Only, I couldn't stop now.

Slipping through the emergency exit, I managed to succeed in getting outside.

First priority…

Find my mum…

* * *

><p><strong>Hello everyone, after a long Hiatus from FanFiction, I'm back :D With a new fic...PHAN! Please let me know your thoughts ^^<strong>

**Love you 3**

**-Chinatsu xoxo**


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